How to Improve During Basketball Off Season

In basketball, TEAMS are made during the season—individual PLAYERS are made in the off-season. In order to improve as a basketball player, you must be willing to work on your skills in the April to October timeframe. This article focuses on the aspects of your game that you should focus on during the off-season.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Basketball
• Basketball Hoop
• Strong work ethic

1. For most young players ball handling is the most important aspect to focus on during the off-season. Players must be able to dribble, catch, and pass the ball effectively to be a valuable player on their team. A very strong ball handler will get a lot of playing time when the season starts (see Resources below for a link to my article on ball handling for specific drills).
2. Review your shooting form and shoot thousands of shots. All shooting practice should be done with proper form while taking gamelike shots. Gamelike shots are those that are taken while going full speed, catching passes, cutting, using shot fakes and shooting off the dribbling. By practicing with this focus, it will translate into game conditions when the season starts. It is a waste of time to do shooting drills at less than full speed--it creates bad habits and does not prepare you for game conditions.
3. Improve your free throw shooting. Games are won and lost at the free throw line. The off-season provides a great opportunity to shoot thousands of free throws. The great thing about free throw practice is that it translates directly to game situations—there is no defense in practice or the game. Be sure to shoot free throws while you are fatigued to simulate game conditions. Set a goal for number of free throws taken and shooting percentage each week and track your improvement. To be an effective free throw shooter you should achieve at least a 75 percent made level by the start of the season.
4. The game of basketball requires a player to build and maintain a strength level to prevent injuries and be an effective player. Strength training is very specific for basketball and should be guided by a qualified strength trainer or coach. To get started, push-ups and sit-ups will provide a foundation of core strength, but to maximize your basketball strength training follow a specific guide for your age and level as prescribed by a trainer.
5. The game of basketball rewards players that have a high level of speed and agility. Being quicker and faster than your opponent can more than make up for any lack of size or shooting ability in many cases. Look for a local speed/agility training center that has a focus on basketball (see link below for a link to the SPARQ training program). To get started, a simple jump rope will provide great agility training (two feet, one foot, alternate foot—30-yard sprints and defensive slides will provide speed training).

Tips & Warnings

• Find a partner with a similar skill level and goals to workout with in the off-season—it will be a great motivator for both of you to celebrate milestones and achievements together.
• Set goals for every aspect of your off-season training program—they will keep you on track and allow you to celebrate achieving your goals.
• Don't wait for someone to tell you what you should do in the off-season—take control of your own development.
• Consult a trained professional before participating in any strenuous training programs